The caretaker government does not have the powers and is not conducting negotiations on the purchase of eight more F-16 Block 70 aircraft, the Ministry of Defence announced in connection with media publications that the government is allegedly holding a secret procedure for the purchase of combat aircraft for the Bulgarian army.

To implement the project, the 43^rd and the 44^th National Assembly approved decisions for the purchase of 16 combat aircraft in two stages of 8 airplanes, the Ministry writes. At the beginning of 2019, at the proposal of the Council of Ministers and after a decision by parliament on the implementation of the first stage, four contracts were signed between the governments of Bulgaria and the US for the purchase of 8 F-16 Block 70 aircraft and the equipment, services and armaments connected with them.

The Ministry of Defence writes that the only activity it is engaged in is continuing the preparations for the implementation of the second stage of the project.